March 26, 1886.] 



SCIENCE. 



285 



must now be evident that we have arrived at that 

 point when we must soon decide upon the attitude 

 Ave are to assume in regard to it. 



When all the elements of civilization have been in 

 operation for over a century in a new country like 

 ours, and when we come to study the final result, 

 there is no better criterion of the success of that 

 civilization than the relative number and the emi- 

 nence of the leaders in the sciences, arts, and in- 

 dustries that it has produced. 



We have many such leaders, and they must be re- 

 garded as the best fruits of our civilization ; while 

 their works, or the effects of their works, will always 

 measure the degree of respect that we are held in by 

 other nations. 



To-day the problem which is contained in that 

 chapter of political economy which deals with the 

 question of the nation's placing to the best use these 

 fruits of her civilization, is one of the highest im- 

 portance, and is yet to be rigidly applied, for it is 

 still tossed upon the waves of varying opinion 

 created in the minds of men. 



During the various stages of development of this 

 principle in our country, the government at different 

 times, and under different influences, has assumed an 

 attitude towards it varying all the way from open 

 hostility to the very verge of that method of treat- 

 ment employed by King Frederick of Denmark, in 

 the case of Tycho Brahe, three hundred years ago. 



Aside from our great problems of education, there 

 stands the equally vital question to us, which may be 

 expressed in its broadest sense as the question of 

 national endowment of research. This is one that 

 naturally resolves itself into two general phases, 

 which are quite distinct. The first is, taken in the 

 light of a productive expenditure, to what extent 

 should the government assist scientific researchers in 

 private life ; and, secondly, to what extent should 

 she encourage it among those directly in the govern- 

 ment employ. 



Touching the first of these questions, I shall have 

 but little to say ; and such as it is, is mainly prompted 

 by the aims and purposes of that act which has just 

 passed the senate, known as the ' Blair educational 

 bill.' This provides that the enormous sum of 

 seventy-nine million dollars of money be appro- 

 priated from the national treasury for distribution 

 among the stages and territories '"' in that proportion 

 which the whole number of persons in each, who, 

 being of the age of ten years and over, cannot write, 

 bears to the whole number of such persons in the 

 United States.' 1 Now, this step not only presupposes 

 that this country claims the right of voting away 

 public means to such ends, but that she actually in- 

 tends to act upon that supposition. In my own opin- 

 ion, the nation does hold just such a right ; but as 

 well-meaning as the purposes of this bill are, in view 

 of the excellent school advantages all over this 

 country for all classes and conditions, would not the 

 state be equally well served, if not better, by the 

 treasury appropriating a similar sum to be used, by 

 methods now well known to us, towards the develop- 

 ment of an American Pasteur, or a Priestley, or an- 

 other Agassiz, a Longfellow or a Fulton ? Has anv 

 one any doubt as to which appropriation would ad- 

 vance the national and the people's interest the 

 more ? I believe the ends of all education are best 

 met by the latter means of expenditure and endow- 

 ment. I stand on the side of the king of Denmark, 

 in his principle as applied to Tycho Brahe. 



In taking up the remaining side of the question, — 

 i.e., the extent to which the government should 

 recognize and further the researches of those per- 

 sons in her employ who have from time to time 

 demonstrated their peculiar fitness to perform cer- 

 tain work, — I will, before discussing the subject, 

 formulate a few well-known and established princi- 

 ples. These are as follows : — 



1°. Both present and past history teaches us, that, 

 in those rare instances where persons of high attain- 

 ments, or even genius, have been enabled through 

 government endowment to devote all their energies 

 to their special line of investigation, the result has 

 been of incalculable benefit to mankind for all 

 time. 



2°. That one of the inherent characteristics of the 

 pursuit of knowledge is its inability to maintain itself 

 commercially, and that, in all cases wherein the re- 

 searcher is not financially provided for, it must of 

 necessity be linked with some other occupation. 



8°. That the published results of the labors of 

 investigators are only of the highest standard and 

 worth when the investigator has been enabled to 

 pursue his researches with a mind absolutely re- 

 lieved from pecuniary worry, and an absolute assur- 

 ance of his being undisturbed, in any way, in the 

 field of his investigations. 



4°. That, to make actual progress in learning, the 

 investigator must have the means at his disposal of 

 thoroughly acquainting himself with every thing 

 that has been previously made known by former 

 workers through their published results ; then any 

 new facts he contributes in his special calling may be 

 considered as contributions to knowledge. 



Aided by these principles, let us now see what the 

 government can effect with her bibliographers who 

 are upon lighthouse duty, anatomists in recruiting 

 officers, bacteriologists in charge of the library, pathol- 

 ogists as ordnance officers, and geologists in charge 

 of the hospitals. There is no question but that the 

 government possesses both the right and the power 

 to apply any one of these distinguished gentlemen 

 to demonstrate the first principle ; and will any one 

 question the gain that would follow, to knowledge, 

 humanity, and the nation, by removing the bacteri- 

 ologist from the library and placing him in the labo- 

 ratory, where perhaps several thousand dollars' 

 worth of instruments may be awaiting him ? 



The position of the majority of such scientists in 

 the services fulfils the second principle ; and, in any 

 event, the government would have no trouble on that 

 score, as she can retain in her service anyone as 

 long as they please to remain. 



It is equally evident that both of the last princi- 

 ples can be carried out by the government with the 

 greatest ease, and without any additional outlay. 

 The pay of any government officer is always sufficient 

 to support him ; and we all know that the govern- 

 ment lacks neither opportunity, libraries, material, 

 or the power of lifting from off the shoulders of 

 her scientific workers all but the most necessary 

 restraints. Of course, beyond the opportunities 

 afforded by the national libraries, the fulfilment of 

 the fourth principle remains entirely with the scien- 

 tist himself. 



Now, these exceedingly simple requirements are 

 all that is necessary for this government to put into 

 execution, in order to carry out and place in opera- 

 tion the grandest of all social schemes, the most 

 powerful impulse to the progress of knowledge, and 



